Two days in Round top

So I’m having major FoMo right now. Shopping has commenced at the Super Bowl of Vintage… Round Top… and I’m missing the show this season. In case you just woke up from a year long comma and are thinking “what is she talking about”, Round Top is a quaint small town between Austin and Houston. Twice a year it throws out the Texas sized welcome mat for an epic antique show. Literally, miles of vendors that have hauled their wares from all over the country set up shop for a week or two! People ask “Is it like Canton?” and the answer is “There is nothing like Round Top!” To see it all takes time and potentially multiple trips… but let’s just say you have two days.

First thing first, is knowing what kind of trip you want. I like to shop hard while I’m there and wind down with a nice meal at the end of the day. You can also take it very slow and wander until the cows come home. All of that effects how much you’ll be able to see and how much shopping will be accomplished.

Let’s assume, just for fun, that you want to be just like me and therefore want to go all in. Obviously, the trip starts with a drive into town, where you’ll be sure you are lost because you only see cows and trees. You’re almost there. Get checked into Hotel Lulu, the Vintage Round Top, The Frenchie or any of the other cute hotels in and around town. Grab a quick bite at Poppy Burger or Stone Cellars for Pizza. The town rolls up the sidewalks at around 9:00 so keep that in mind!

Day 1: Know that the vendors won’t open until about 10 am so take the time to relax in the morning. I love a coffee on the porch while the sun comes up. Get dressed, dawn your hat and boots and head to the general store (gas station, feed store, grocery store combo!) for provisions. I grab a sandwich from the deli, a huge iced tea, water, and snacks for the day! The store closes early-ish so if you need snacks or wine for the evening you’ll be better off grabbing them now. Drive to Warrington to hit the fields. Start with Excess 1 & Excess 2 to get warmed up. Then drive west down the road a bit and pull into the actual fields. Park and get your wagon. You’ll walk for hours but you’ll see real deals here and some unique finds. If you finished your sandwich and need more you’ll find vendors selling sausage wraps, bbq, chips and tea/cola. You should finish around 2:00 and you’ll have just enough time to pop into Bader Ranch and Courtney Barton! Dinner spots fill up quickly during the shows so you’ll be happy you planned ahead and made dinner reservations at LuLu’s! Grab a drink (or two) at the bar beforehand and toast a successful first day! Hopefully you travelled with a friend because you’re going to want to share a few of their food options! Go get some sleep for another full day tomorrow!

Day 2: Start the day at the Halles for a healthy breakfast (at last check they had a cool healthy food truck!) and walk around to all the vendors. This is my alma mater from a few years ago! Then check out Blue Hills, McClarens, Cisco Village! This will get you to just past noon and you’ll want to head over to the Compound! They have a small food truck village and the Thai food one is killer. Don’t miss Eneby Home at the Compound. You have a few hours until things close up so take the time to pop into anywhere that caught your eye! Wrap your day at the Garden Cafe because you called and made reservations for the patio.